New Burnham Street project in Tigard reaches halfway point

View full sizeCity of TigardThe first half of the Burnham Street project has been done underground, rebuilding and relocating a complex network of underground infrastructure such as the city water and sewer pipes as well as phone and utility lines.

The New Burnham Street project has reached the halfway mark and is heading to the finish line. This important road project in the heart of Tigard began last November and is scheduled for completion in June 2011.

This is Tigard’s first “green streets” project, widening and completely reconstructing a key roadway while adding sustainable features. New Burnham Street will have stormwater treatment planters, trees and energy-saving LED street lights, along with on-street parking, new sidewalks and benches.

The project also supports catalyst projects in the downtown, opening new development opportunities for jobs, housing and other uses, and connecting Burnham Street and Ash Avenue to the commuter rail park-and-ride lot.

The first half of the Burnham Street project schedule has been spent underneath the roadway, rebuilding and relocating a complex network of underground infrastructure. The City’s drinking water pipeline was replaced, an improved stormwater system installed - including water quality treatment facilities - and an old wastewater pipeline repaired.

Conduits for telecommunications and utility services have been relocated under the sidewalks to reduce the cost for future repairs (PGE, Verizon, Integra Telecom, Time Warner, Comcast, and NW Natural). The existing above-ground power poles will be removed soon.

The underground work took nearly nine months and was labor intensive. Existing infrastructure, including Verizon’s giant banks of communications cables, made laying new pipes challenging. Other abandoned utility pipelines left behind over the last 50 years also had to be removed or avoided.

The City’s contractor, Kodiak Pacific Construction, is coordinating all underground work with the seven utility owners - a scheduling challenge. Burnham Street can never be closed to through traffic, even temporarily, because key emergency service providers - fire, police and public works - are all housed along Burnham Street.

The City of Tigard is also committed to keep the street open for business. Despite these challenges and very wet spring weather, the contractor has kept the project on schedule.

Traveling down Burnham Street today you will see that curbs, sidewalks and driveways to many businesses have been installed. New stormwater swales are built and ready for irrigation piping. But the roadway is still gravel. An initial layer of asphalt will go on after the power poles are removed by PGE in a couple of months.

The most anxiously awaited phase of work along Burnham Street, final paving of the street, will be completed next spring after all the landscaping and lighting has been installed. “Applying the top pavement is like vacuuming your carpet when you don’t want any footprints to show. It’s the last thing you do before leaving the room”, explains Kim McMillan, the City of Tigard’s project manager. “I know everyone is looking forward to the day the street is completed. We want travelers to know we are making great progress - even if you can’t see it because it has been underground.” McMillan promises the next phase of construction will be a lot more visible.

Representatives from the City of Tigard and the contractor for the Burnham Street project provide the latest project updates to area businesses every Friday at 7:30 a.m. at the Main Street McDonald’s in downtown Tigard. “Everyone is invited to attend,” McMillan says. “Our goal is to share information, answer questions and get feedback from area property owners and business operators”.